ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on the uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of Almond. Almonds are cultivated for the nuts, used in candies, baked products, and confectioneries, and for the oils obtained from the kernels. Oil is used as a flavoring agent in baked goods, perfumery and medicines. Sweet almond oil is used for cosmetic creams and lotions, although in a crisis, it might conceivably be used as an energy source. The almond tree has been successfully grown on a wide range of soils. It is a deep-rooted tree and draws heavily on the soil, which should be deep, fertile, and well drained. In 1971, commercial almond production in the U. S. was centered in California, which produced more than 99% of the domestic marketed nuts. The chrysomelid Mimastra cyanura Hope and the almond weevil Myllocerus laetivirens Marshall feed on the leaves.
